This timeline is a supplement of the main article Uyghur. Dealing with the centuries between 400 and 900 AD, it refers to a critical period in the cultural formation of the Uyghur nation, as they transitioned from a minor Turkic tribe to the Uyghur Khaganate.
Date | People | Event | Geopolitical Context | |
---|---|---|---|---|
546 | Bumin | Pre-emptively strikes a planned Töle revolt | Attempt of the vassal Turks to gain ascendancy over the vassal Gaoqu people | |
560 | Muqan | Annexes Töle tribes under a federal system | Muqan demonstrates his qut by the submission of the Töle (i.e. the right of taxation over their livestock); resolves internal power struggle | |
565 | Wu Chen-Di | Civil war divides the Wei Kingdom | Muqan demonstrates his qut by the submission of the Töle (i.e. the right of taxation over their livestock); resolves internal power struggle | |
572 | Istämi | Divides Muqan's realm between his rival successors: Taspar-Qağan rules in the central region, Istämi-Yabgu in the far-west, Shetu in the east and Jotan in the west | Traditional power transfer from elder to younger brother, subsequently from youngest uncle to eldest nephew | |
575 | Tardu | Takes power in far-west region | His father dies in Taraz | |
575 | You-Zhou | Qi dynasty collapses | Qi = Eastern Wei, Rouran allies; Zhou = Western Wei, Turk allies | |
578 | Taspar | Repeatedly raids the Zhou Kingdom | Under the influence of the Qi exiles | |
578 | Wu-Di | Gives Taspar 100,000 bales of silk and the Princess Zhou Tsienkien | Marriage alliance prevents raids | |
578 | Wu-Di | Kidnaps Prince Kaozhou as he is hunting | To eliminate rival to power | |
578 | Taspar | Takes no action against the Zhou Kingdom's violation of his power. Instead, he places 10,000 Turks as 'guests' in Zhou | He has a secret agreement to trade the Prince Kaozhou for Princess Tsienkien. The lack of honor to a guest outrages the common people. This period shows the beginning of class separation and the movement of Turkic nobility into the Chinese cultural sphere. | |
580 | Shang Sun | Arrives with Zhou Tsienkien and befriends Shetu | To collect information about the Turks for Zhou | |
581 | Wen-Di | At the death of Emperor Jing-Di, he seizes power as regent for the new Emperor who is still a child | His dynastic claim is based on his daughter, the Emperor's Mother | |
581 | Taspar | ???Muqan | Maybe as part of an agreement between Muqan and Taspar | |
581 | Ishbara Qaghan | Swearing he will attack Talopien to uphold tradition, he is the voice of conservative factions | If tradition is followed, he will be the next Qağan | |
581 | Änlo | Taspar dies and the toy appoints Änlo | To avoid conflict between the three conflicting claims of Tardu, Shetu and Talopien | |
581 | Talopien | Threatens Änlo | He views himself as the legal Qağan because he has been given the title by the previous one | |
581 | Änlo | Cedes title to Shetu at Ötükän and takes title of second Qağan | In exchange for protection, the empty title and to control the Tola Valley (Uyğur tribes) | |
582 | Wen-Di | Deposes Zhou Emperor and expels the 10,000 Turks from Changan | To show his independence and to end the drain on the treasury | |
582 | Shetu | Forms a coalition force with Tardu, Jotan and Talopien | To reinforce his position as Qağan and to avenge his wife's family | |
582 | Wen-Di | Sends ambassador Yuan Huei to recognize him as Qağan by presenting him with the symbolic wolf flag at Hami | Tardu is upset that he was not made Qağan by the toy, so Wen-Di gives him diplomatic recognition which legitimizes his claim. He thereby acquires qut | |
582 | Tardu | Declares the far-west region as sovereign and separate with himself as Qağan | The far-west region has de facto independence since the Istämi-Muqan era | |
583 | Shetu | Blames Talopien for the failures of the campaign | Rivalry and the influence of Shang Sun | |
583 | Talopien | Joins Jotan and Boru in the west region. | They are all opposed to Shetu's paranoia, assassination and tyrannywest | |
583 | Shetu | Kills Talopien's family and burns his yurt in revenge | Altay mountains | |
583 | Tardu and Wen-Di | Attack simultaneously with Khitan (Shetu's own vassals in the east) | To block Shetu's power. The attack by his nominal vassals and allies erodes the credibility of Shetu, meaning he has lost qut | |
583 | Shetu | As he only controls the central region, it is hit by famine; he asks for Sui Imperial protection | This act officially marks the end of his sovereignty, he is now a Chinese vassal | |
584 | Talopien | Takes control of east, central and west regions | Talopien proves himself as the true Qağan by his qut | |
585 | Wen-Di | Renames Zhou Tsienkien as Sui Dai | To make Shetu his vassal (son-in-law) because he now fears the growing power of Tardu and Talopien | |
585 | Shetu | Sends his son Kohoden as a hostage to Changan | To seal the peace agreement | |
585 | Talopien | Defeats Tardu and takes over far-west region, now controlling all four regions | Tardu no longer enjoys Sui Imperial support and is a rival to power that has to be eliminated as a threat | |
585 | Tardu | Flee to Sui protection | Tardu no longer enjoys Sui Imperial support and is a rival to power that has to be eliminated as a threat | |
585 | Tiele tribes | Submit to Talopien | He is strong enough to threaten them, therefore he has consolidated power/qut. | |
587 | Shetu | Dies while hunting | Possible accident or an assassination | |
588 | Chulo | Captures Talopien | Family vendetta, his older brother Shetu had been humiliated by this man. The Sui Empire supports this move to balance the growing power of Talopien | |
588 | Nili | Replaces Talopien as Qağan; Töle tribes revolt | Try to regain lost independence in the chaos of the dynastic struggle | |
588 | Chulo | Dies fighting the Töle | To reassert control over the tribes that had been vassal to Talopien | |
588 | Tülan | Takes power and returns to Mongolian Steppe | All the rivals to power in the struggle for succession have been neutralized, so power reverts to the House of Shetu | |
589 | Wen-Di | Conquers Chen Kingdom, thus reunifying China | ??? | |
590 | Tardu | Attacks Nili to regain the far-west region | He is supported by Tülan who wants to see his last rival Nili eliminated. In effect, he recognizes the sovereignty of the far-west region | |
593 | Tülan | Stops paying taxes | ??? | |
593 | Sui Dai | Plots with Nili to attack Sui Empire | Revenge against Sui dynasty for overthrowing her family, the Zhou dynasty | |
593 | Shang Sun | Requests Tülan to kill Sui Dai, but he refuses | To demonstrate he no longer is a vassal to the Sui | |
593 | Shang Sun | Offers Princess Anyi to Zhangar Khan if he will kill Sui Dai | To create a rival to Tülan's power and thus restore a balance of power by creating another civil war | |
593 | Tülan | Suspects Zhangar of treason | Zhangar has received so many gifts and visits from Chinese, this is tantamount to diplomatic recognition | |
594 | Tülan | Makes peace with Tardu | Tardu has eliminated his rival; this act formally recognizes the independence of the far-west region from the Khanate | |
594 | Shang sun | Bribes an official of the toy and exposes Sui Dai plotting with Chinese (Chen government in exile) and Sogdians (with one of whom she is having an affair) | To make the Tülan lose face in front of the toy to weaken his power, also to provide a pretext for killing the troublesome Sui Dai | |
594 | Tülan | Executes Sui Dai | Under Turkic custom, adultery is punished by the death penalty | |
597 | Zhangar | Marries Sui Anyi and rebels against Tülan | By marrying the Princess, he has a claim to sovereignty | |
597 | Tülan | Kills Zhangar's family and drives him to the Ordos Loop under Sui Imperial protection | Asserts his authority | |
598 | Tardu | Defeats Nili, Chulo takes his place | Asserts his authority | |
599 | Tülan | Killed in Töle revolt | Töle tribes take advantage of the chaos to gain independence | |
600 | Tardu | Defeats Chulo and declares himself supreme Qağan | A vacuum of power has been created by the loss of Zhangar, Chulo and Tülan | |
600 | Chulo | Takes Sui Imperial protection | The Sui Empire needs him to balance the power of Tardu | |
600 | Erkin Tegin | Initiates diplomatic contacts with China | This is the first official account of the Uyghur tribe, which at this time lived in the Tola valley with 10,000 yurts | |
601 | Chang Sunsheng | Creates an alliance with the Töle Beys including Erkin Tegin of the Uyghur tribe | This is the first official account of the Uyghur tribe, which at this time lived in the Tola valley with 10,000 yurts | |
601 | Tardu | Attacks Changan | As a warning to the Sui Empire not to interfere in the Turk's internal power struggles | |
601 | Shang sun | Poisons all the wells in the Gobi Desert | Tardu's army is superior and cannot be defeated by conventional warfare | |
603 | Erkin Tegin | Töle tribes revolt against Tardu | The Chinese are afraid of Tardu and must eliminate his base of power | |
603 | Tardu | Abdicates to Tibet | ??? | |
603 | Erkin Tegin | Töle alliance dissolves in the aftermath of the revolt; three tribes come under Uyghur control (Bugut, Tongra and Bayirqu) | The Uyghurs gained enough qut to pull in other tribes to the alliance | |
603 | Zhangar | Marries Sui Yicheng and assumes the title Qağan, but as a vassal to china | Zhangar is the last of the vassal khans to China. He is particularly devoted and loyal | |
603 | Chulo | Assumes title Qağan in the far-west region, but as a vassal to China; rules from Tashkent and Kucha | Since Tardu has been eliminated, power reverts to the House of Muqan | |
605 | Sui Yang-Di | Ascends the Dragon Throne | ??? | |
609 | Shipi | Takes power after Zhangar | ??? | |
609 | Chang Sunsheng | Replaced by Peichu | ??? | |
609 | Peichu | Offers to support Shipi's brother Qağan and a Chinese Princess, but he refuses | The traditional tactic of dividing power counter Shipi's growing strength | |
611 | Chulo | Attempts to extend his authority over the Töle | By taxing their livestock | |
611 | Töle | Töle tribes revolt under Syr-Tardush drives out Chulo | Uyghurs occupy second position in the alliance | |
611 | Shekuei | Takes power and restores House of Tardu | ??? | |
615 | Shipi | Subjugates the Töle | ??? | |
615 | Shipi | Stops paying taxes to the Sui Empire | Asserts sovereignty | |
615 | Peichu | Lures Sogdian vizers to the city of Mai and kills them in a trap | To keep them from exposing the Chinese plots to the Qağan | |
615 | Shipi | Attacks Sui Yang-Di | Revenge for his treachery at Mai | |
615 | Sui Yiching | Lies to her husband that the Töle tribes are in revolt | So he will leave, saving Sui Yang-Di from capture | |
615 | Yang-Di | Sui Empire begins civil war | The humiliation of his defeat damages his prestige | |
616 | Tang Taizong | Captures Changan with support of Turks; he gains 20,000 horses and 5,000 cavalry in return for giving the rights to plunder all the gold and women in Changan | ??? | |
618 | Tang Taizong | Places his father as Emperor of the Tang dynasty | ??? | |
626 | Tang Taizong | Kills his brothers and becomes Emperor | The Wu-men Gate incident | |
627 | Khile Qagan | Tries to tax the Töle to replace his horses that were killed during a summer snow | ??? | |
627 | Aynan Khan | Initiates a Syr-Tardush lead revolt of Töle tribes against Khile-Qağan | The Uyghurs again occupy second position under Pusa Ilteber | |
627 | Aynan Khan | Declares a Khanate at Otuken | ??? | |
630 | Taizong | Attacks in coordination with Khitan and Töle, utterly defeating the Turks and taking Khile-Qaghan prisoner | Tang-Töle alliance replaces Sui-Töle against the Turks | |
632 | Tang Taizong | Annexes all Tokharian city states as vassals | Indirect Chinese rule of Tarim city states | |
640 | Tang Taizong | Kucha (Kutsi) rebels in alliance with Onoq | ??? | |
640 | Songtsen Gampo | Unifies Tibet with Buddhism as the state religion | ??? | |
645 | Jubi Qağan | Unifies Onoq | ??? | |
646 | Pusa (菩萨), son of Tejian (特健) | Allies with Syr-Tardush to defeat Eastern Qaġanate | He is granted with a Chinese title of prefect creating a legal precedent for leadership | |
646 | Tumitu Ilteber (吐迷度) | Assassinates Pusa and defeats the Syr-Tardush; declares a state at Otuken | First Uyghur state; this becomes the precedent for all later claims for the right to rule. Moreover, he is a Chinese vassal paying a tax of furs | |
648 | Tang Taizong | Replaces all vassal Tokharian kings with Chinese officials under the governor-general in Kaochang; the Tarim Basin is now the western protectorate | The Chinese are now directly rule the Tarim city states | |
648 | Tumitu Ilteber | Assassinated by nephew Wuhe, who is in turn assassinated by Chinese spies | Wuhe is a Gokturk sympathizer and therefore an enemy of Chinese interests | |
648 | Pojuan Ilteber (婆闰) | Installed as new Khan; he becomes a loyal vassal of China | Uyghurs now carry Chinese titles and work as mercenaries in the 'pacifed west' | |
650 | ??? | China captures Kashgar and Khotan | ??? | |
650 | Tang Taizong | Dies, his son Kaozong creating a scandal by marrying Taizong's former concubine Zhou Wu-Mei | By custom, Wu-Mei should have retired to a convent after her husband's death. This unusual marriage indicates she had an extramarital affair with Kaozong prior to Taizong's death | |
651 | Holu Khan | Unifies the Onoq and threatens China | ??? | |
651 | Pojuan Ilteber | Defeats Korean rebellion | The Uyghurs view the Chinese as both allies and kingmakers | |
651 | ??? | Arabs advance to Herat | ??? | |
652 | ??? | Arabs sack Balkh, then return to Khorosan | ??? | |
657 | Pojuan Khan | Leads Uyğur army and defeats Holu in the name of the Tang Empire | Onoq power is broken, the Uyghurs ally with China to defeat the last remnants of their ancestral enemy, the Turks Chu valley | |
657 | Pojuan Khan | Killed during the battle of Goguryeo (高句丽) | The Chinese break off diplomatic ties with Uyghur | |
659 | Kaozong | Creates 10 tribal states in Onoq territory of which each one is governed by a vassal khan | The far-western region of the Turks is now subdued by China | |
659 | Xuanzong | China annexes Suyab and Tashkent, marking the maximum extent of Chinese power | ??? | |
660 | Gaozong | Suffers stroke and delegates power to his wife Wu Zetian | ??? | |
661 | ??? | Onoq and Tibet drive the Tang out of Tarim | ??? | |
660 | Tiele | Revolt against China | Tribute has not been paid | |
661 | Pilatu | Succeeds her brother as Ilteber | ??? | |
621 | Wu Zetian | Suppresses revolt at Khangai | ??? | |
663 | Pilatu | Uyghur power declines | ??? | |
663 | ??? | Arabs invade Bactria | ??? | |
663 | ??? | Tibet takes Vakhan, Gilit and Kashgar | ??? | |
665 | ??? | Onoq enters revolt | ??? | |
670 | ??? | Tibet seizes four garrisons with the Chinese army retreating to Turpan | The Chinese divert their trade route north from Turpan to Beshbaliq, Suyab and Tashkent | |
679 | ??? | Tibet controls four garrisons | ??? | |
680 | Kutlug | Declares Orkhon Khanate | End of Tang Imperial control of Mongolian Steppe | |
681 | Pro-China Tiele | Escapes to Liangzhou | They have lost qut and must flee to the steppe | |
682 | Kutlug | Reunites the 16 tribes | Rise of Turk power | |
682 | Tuchiachi | Is defeated by Kutluk; the Uyghurs move to the Selenga valley | The Uyghur lose sovereignty but not autonomy | |
683 | Wu Zetian | Takes the Dragon Throne | This is a coup d'état | |
688 | Kutlug | Defeats Uyğurs | ??? | |
690 | Wu Zetian | Seizes absolute power by appealing to Buddhist millennialism | ??? | |
691 | Kutlug | Defeats Toquz-Oghuz | ??? | |
692 | Wu Zetian | Recovers Karashahr and Kucha | ??? | |
692 | Kapğan | Succeeds his brother as the new Qağan | Traditional succession from older to younger brother | |
692 | ??? | Tang Imperial army retakes the four garrisons | ??? | |
693 | Kapğan | Defeats Tang Imperial army | ??? | |
694 | Wu Zetian | Recovers Khotan and Kashgar | ??? | |
698 | Kapğan | Defeats Türğish at the battle of Bolchu near Lake Urungu | This rendered the western steppe region vassal to the Orkhon Khanate | |
700 | Bilgä shad | Attacks Tangut Kingdom | ??? | |
701 | Tonyukuk-Ayguchy | Captures Sogdiana | This was a vassal of the Onoq to achieve total victory over his enemies | |
702 | Kapğan | Attacks Xia Kingdom | ??? | |
703 | ??? | Turko-Tibetan alliance is formed, but fails to defeat Tang army | ??? | |
703 | ??? | Onoq retakes Suyab | ??? | |
705 | Wu Zetian | Abdicates to Zhongzong | ??? | |
705 | ??? | Tibetan-Gandharan alliance is formed and drives the Arabs from Bactria | ??? | |
705 | Qutayba | Appointed governor of Khorosan | ??? | |
706 | Qutayba | Captures Bukhara | ??? | |
707 | Bukharan leader | Asks Khapgan for military support against the Arabs | ??? | |
708 | Xuanzong | Offers reward to three vassal tribes for the head of Kapğan | ??? | |
710 | Zhongzong | Poisoned by his wife Empress Wei who has an affair with Wu Sansi | ??? | |
710 | Xuanzong | Takes power with his aunt Princess Taiping (daughter of Empress Wu) | ??? | |
710 | Kyrgyz tribes | Revolt and are defeated | ??? | |
710 | Qutayba | Places Tugshada on the throne of Bukhara and Ghurek on the throne of Samarkand | ??? | |
711 | Turgish Khan | Revolt begins | ??? | |
711 | Qarluk | Revolt and are defeated in 714 | ??? | |
712 | Xuanzong | Begins reign and kills Princess Taiping | ??? | |
712 | Qutayba | Invades Bactria | ??? | |
712 | Samarkand leader | Asks Khapgan for military support against the Arabs | ??? | |
712 | ??? | Turks control Sogd | ??? | |
712 | King of Fargana | Flees to Kucha under Chinese protection | ??? | |
714 | Izgil tribe | Revolt and are defeated in 715 | ??? | |
715 | Toquz-Oguz tribe | Revolt and are defeated in 716 (this revolt includes the Uyghur tribe) | ??? | |
715 | Qutayba | Assassinated by his troops in the Fargana valley | because he wishes to continue the campaign against the orders of the Caliph | |
715 | King of Faragana | Returns as a Chinese vassal | ??? | |
715 | King of Faragana | Returns as a Chinese vassal | ??? | |
716 | Bayirqu tribe | Revolt and are defeated, but a rouge warrior ambushes Kapğan and kills him and sends his head to Changan with envoy Ho Lingchüan (July 22, Tola river) | ??? | |
716 | Uyğur tribe | Revolt with Qarluk and Toquz-oguz | Although defeated they become autonomous vassals in the Selenga valley | |
716 | Bilgä | Kills Inel, Kapğan's whole family and all his officials | Inel is not fit to rule, moreover, by Turk law the throne should pass to Bilgä | |
718 | Bilgä | Restores peace and ends all revolts | ??? | |
720 | Xuanzong | Tries to attack Bilgä in coordination with Basmyl and Khitans, but fails, therefore accepting the terms of Bilgä's peace | ??? | |
721 | Xuanzong | China controls Suyab, Kucha, Kashgar, Tashkent and Fargana | ??? | |
721 | Xuanzong | Arabo-Turgish-Tibetan alliance defeats Chinese army; the Arabs take Faragana and the Turgish take Suyab | ??? | |
721 | ??? | Tashkent becomes independent | ??? | |
721 | ??? | Sogdo-Turgish alliance attacks Arabs | ??? | |
725 | Tonyukuk | Dies | ??? | |
727 | Bilgä | Refuses an anti-Tang alliance with the Tibetans | ??? | |
728 | ??? | Sogdo-Turgish alliance liberates Sogd | ??? | |
729 | ??? | Arabs control Bactria and Samarkand | Turgish control of Sogd, Fargana and Suyab; China control of North Tarim and Tibet control South Tarim | |
731 | Köl Tegin | Dies | ??? | |
734 | Bilgä | Poisoned by Buyruk Chor as part of a Chinese conspiracy | ??? | |
736 | ??? | Sino-Arabian alliance is formed and defeats the Turgish at Suyab | China annexes Suyab, while Arabs occupy Sogd | |
739 | ??? | Tibet allies with Gandhara | China annexes Suyab, while Arabs occupy Sogd | |
739 | Ghurek | Reign ends | ??? | |
742 | Xuanzong | Begins affair with Yang Gueifei and leaves power in the hands of An Rokhan | ??? | |
744 | Ozmish Khan | Killed by Uyghur, Basmyl, Qarluk rebellion | ??? | |
745 | ??? | Qarluk and Uyghur overthrow Basmyl Khan | ??? | |
745 | ??? | Uyghur defeat Qarluk and declare a new Khanate at Otuken; the Qarluk move to the far-west region | ??? | |
745 | Abu Muslim | Begins a Jihad in Sogd | ??? | |
747 | Bayan Chor | Begins reign | ??? | |
748 | ??? | Abbasid Caliphate begins | ??? | |
750 | Chabish of Tashkent and Ilkhshid of Fargana | Begin a dispute; Chinese ally Ilkhshid and Turkish ally the Chabish send for help | ??? | |
750 | General Kao Hsienchih | Sacks Tashkent after it surrenders, taking the Chabish and the Khan to be executed in Changan | ??? | |
750 | Son of Chabish | Petitions governor Ziyad ibn Salih in Samarkand for revenge | ??? | |
751 | Abu Muslim | Sends army at the request of Governor Salih, meeting the Kao Hsienchih at Talas | ??? | |
755 | Abu Muslim | Assassinated | ??? | |
755 | An Rokhan | Rebels against Xuanzong | ??? | |
755 | An Rokhan | Captures Changan | ??? | |
756 | Xuanzong | Abdicates and Yang Guifei is killed | ??? | |
759 | Bogu Khan | Begins reign | ??? | |
763 | Bogu Khan | Ends Ungluk Suyluk Topilingi (An Lushan) rebellion | ??? |